Hawaiian Pizza
by Lifeless Heartless
Summary: Because Ace is ham, Marco is a pineapple, and pizza is awesome. In other words, my MarcoAce Week 2015 collection. Varies from fluffy to smutty to angsty. Enjoy. My beta, Setsu, came up with the name.
1. The Ship is on Fire

**So…it's not OBE? Sorry? I am working on it, but genius takes time~**

 **Anyway~ I decided to be awesome and participate in MarcoAce week, even though I should be working on OBE, I just couldn't pass this up~**

 **So, Day 1: Fire**

 **I won't be uploading them all separately, so if you want to read all my MarcoAce Week fics, just alert this one ^_^**

 **Warnings: None for this story, but some of the others will have some~**

 **This is dedicated to** _Sunrise Flame_ **cause she's a dear and she deserves it :)**

 **The Ship is on Fire**

 **SET SAIL!**

Battles were very common on the Moby Dick. Something Ace didn't really think was likely when he was joining up. Sure there were the rookies like him who often challenged the old man to prove something but more often than not people weren't stupid enough to challenge the strongest man in the world.

Or at least that's what he thought.

Turns out there were quite a lot of people stupid enough to challenge the strongest man in the world. They had many different ships approaching them, attacking them, and most of the time retreating.

But there were the times that the opposition was too stubborn to retreat, and his brothers and sisters liked the work out. More often than not Pops never even leaves his chair, just continues drinking sake and watching his children let off some steam.

Izou always tells Ace that his ability is really useful for the disposal of the empty enemy ships. Pops thinks it is a shame to do but with the crew disbanded, or all dead, then the ship should join them right?

Ace really enjoys lighting the ships on fire. It's the time of release he doesn't get when he spars. He doesn't want to hurt his siblings, and Marco is always really busy and can't spar with him so he never really goes all out with his flames.

That leads to some pent up fire, and it's not a pretty sight for anyone.

Ace looks around at the fading battles and just smiles. This is another one of those times that the challengers refuse to run away, so the teen is making his way over to the empty ship, excitedly bouncing from foot to foot at the thought of being able to play with the flames again.

He hops over and is completely alone, with only the sounds of finishing battles and the waves ticking at his ears.

His ears perk as Ace hears the clacking of talons on wood and frowns a little at the idea of Marco joining him for another burning.

It was one of the first things he realized about the first mate after joining the Whitebeard Pirates.

Marco loves fire.

Like really loves it. He really likes to be around Ace when he fights because even against someone weak the teen has a tendency to light something on fire. It's both interesting and annoying.

"Mind if I join you, yoi?"

Another thing Ace has noticed about Marco. He has a really sexy voice when it comes to the prospect of being near fire.

Ace wants to scowl and tell the phoenix no, that he wants to burn alone for once, but he can't. Marco just always looks so happy when he's standing on flaming decks with Ace.

"You know, if I didn't know that you have the phoenix's tendencies when you are human, I'd question your love of fire."

He turned around and just gave the blonde a look, one that clearly said he was onto whatever the elder was planning. The man was always planning something, and he never asked to join Ace, he just did.

"Maybe the fire isn't the reason I'm here. Maybe I just like looking at you as you burn things to the ground, yoi." His voice was all husky and, wait what?

Ace's eyes widened and he, well for once he wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Sure he'd always flirt with Marco when he could, but the man never flirted back! Hell, normally he kicked him…Marco must be a pod person.

"But no, you were right. The phoenix in me really likes to be around fire, yoi." The smirk on that ruggedly handsome face is so uncalled for.

Ace glared and pouted a little, angry at thinking that Marco was flirting with him.

His fire flares around his feet, catching the wooden deck on fire as Ace figures out how to go about this now awkward, in his mind, conversation.

"Your phoenix likes fire that much?" he idly asks, walking away to catch the cabin door on fire.

"Well yeah, though I was a bit of a pyro before I became part phoenix, but now I crave it. Almost like Izou craves chocolate all the time, yoi." Marco spoke calmly, slight smile dancing across his lips as he stands right in the middle of the fire Ace started.

Soon it will be a full blaze, and that's when the phoenix really lets loose.

With that thought a sudden idea pushed itself into Ace's brain.

"Marco!" he whipped around, running over to the first mate and grabbing his hand. The blonde looks down at Ace, rather surprised, and furrows his brow. Very few good things come from a really excited pyromaniac.

"You can dance, right?"

Marco was many things. He was the first mate to the strongest man in the world, he had a Mythical Zoan fruit, he loved fire, and he was rather obsessed with fluffy pillows.

He was not prepared for that question.

"What, yoi?"

"You can dance, right? I know you can, I've seen you at the camp fires. Will you dance with me?" Ace looked so excited, dark eyes sparkling, large shit-eating grin spread across his face. Marco would be hard pressed to say no to such a sight.

The teen is already positioning them before the blonde can fully put his thoughts back on track in a logical manner.

Ace wraps Marco's right hand around his own waist, and puts his left hand on the phoenix's right shoulder, and grabs his free hand.

It's a classic waltz position and the elder just keeps getting surprised by the other today. First he didn't participate in the fight, then he was content to light the ship ablaze without Marco, now he knows the dancing form for a classic waltz.

"You know how to dance, yoi?"

The look the teen gives him could only be described as a "well duh" face. How was Marco supposed to know that a savage little brat like Ace could do something as sophisticated as a waltz?!

"Of course I do. Makino taught me." And the ebony-haired teen said that like it was the most obvious thing in the world. When all Marco could think was, _'Who the hell is Makino?'_

Ace tugged on their joined hands and gave him a pointed look. With a sigh the blonde complied and pulled the teen into a simple waltz.

"Why am I leading, yoi?"

It was a simple question, and a valid one. Ace was very bullheaded and stubborn, so it was a bit hard to believe he'd just let Marco lead him around in a dance. Especially when it was generally a woman's role, not something he thought the teen would do voluntarily.

"Do you want me to lead?" those eyes should be outlawed. They were wide and expressive, and dammit.

"I didn't say that, yoi. I was just curious." He shrugged and spun the younger around, delighting at the deep giggle that escaped from Ace's mouth.

It was nice. The dancing. It had been a long time since he did any sort of classical dance, and while he wasn't worried about his skills deteriorating, it was nice to put them to use.

Marco was starting to get comfortable, dancing with Ace, spinning him around, and sometimes lifting him just a little. He wanted to try and dip the other, just to shock him, but it seems Ace had other ideas.

He lit his own feet on fire. Only then did he realized that he had kicked off his boots while they were moving around.

Every step in the dance, every twirl, every movement, had sparks flying up and the deck scorching more and more as Ace slowly burnt it down while they danced.

The blonde was able to restrain himself for quite a while, even he was impressed by that, especially as the phoenix tried as hard as it could to come out.

Marco had to give a little, simply because the fire was filling him up with an incredible amount of happiness, and joy, and an overall need to preen.

Soon, joining the orange and red flames were blue and yellow, the clacking of his talons breaking through the peace of the popping of the crackling fire.

Ace didn't seem to mind, in fact his smile widened as Marco's tail came up to curl around his trim waist.

There were many expectations that the blonde had for this day, a nice fight, an even nicer burning, maybe more than a few hours of sleep. At no time did he think that he'd be twirling around his smoking hot younger brother on a flaming ship and have that attractive smile aimed right at him.

He could barely hold back a moan at the feel of Ace's flames licking and lapping at his bared skin, pretty sure he let something escape because suddenly the ebony-haired youth was speaking.

"I knew you liked fire too much." Ace's smug voice tickled at Marco's ears and a dastardly idea came into his strategic mind.

Without warning Marco started to up the tempo, clutching at Ace's waist with his hand and his tail, and pulling the teen closer, to where their fronts were completely pressed together.

Surprisingly Ace's face lit up in a dark blush and Marco knew that this was a grand idea.

Idly he registered murmuring and gasps from the Moby, but he was way too focused on making Ace realize that he was messing with the wrong person.

His talons moved with surprising efficiency as he pulled Ace into a much more complicated rhythm and dance. It was still a waltz, but it was far from the simple one the teen had started.

Being pressed close to his partner was key because Marco was moving them like they were one, and shockingly Ace was keeping up flawlessly.

The steps became more and more complicated. Adding in twirls, spins, lifts, dips, and some other moves he had picked up along the way. With every step, ever breath, every movement they made, Marco was more and more drawn in to the dance they were weaving. The flames licking at their backs, their hair, their feet, everywhere.

It just made it that more intense for Marco.

He wasn't even aware that he was smiling until he took a breath too look into Ace's eyes. Marco saw his face reflected in those deep dark pools and suddenly the smile was widening and he was swinging the smaller teen into the air.

The phoenix was happy and his mind was pleasantly numb so he wasn't paying attention as he released his hold on Ace and he responded by spinning in the air, fire flying around him like a faux skirt.

Marco caught him rather easily, enjoying the feel of the firm bare back pressing into his equally firm bare front. The skin on skin contact was almost as glorious as the fire still tickling him from all around.

He deftly grabbed the teen's left hand with his right and watched as the other immediately got the idea and spun out of his hold. The only part of them still touching was their hands.

Ace's lips curled in another smile and he twisted around and danced his own little dance while still clinging to Marco's seriously sweating hand.

A simple jerk and the teen stopped and twirled right back into their original position.

Knowing that the ship was just about broken and charred, Marco lead Ace around in a final loop, enjoying the wind and the flames as he just danced.

He could hear clapping as they slowed down, but Marco was still enraptured with Ace. All wrapped in fire, and knowing how to dance, and keeping up with him even when he made the dance harder and harder.

They were good together. A good pair. A good partnership. A good match.

Marco's mind was running in circles as he slowed to a stop and finished the dance by dipping his all too willing partner.

In fact, he was still thinking of all the excuses he could use to keep Ace in his arms for a little longer, when the teen surprised him by wrapping his hands around Marco's neck.

The blonde looked into the dark eyes, curiosity shining through his own blue irises, he was sure. But that didn't seem to matter to Ace. Nope. He had his own ideas about what was going on.

With a hard tug, the teen pulled Marco's face to his and planted his lips firmly on the blonde's.

Marco's eyes were wide and he didn't know quite what to do as Ace pulled tighter and moved his lips slightly.

Suddenly things clicked into place and a growl sounded in Marco's throat as he tightened his hands around the still dipped other and pressed back, enjoying the kiss for all that it was.

Something they should have done a long ass time ago.

 **FIN**

 **Wasn't that adorable? I didn't know I had it in me to be fluffy XDDD**

 **Do me a favor, go vote IN MY POLL!**

 **See y'all tomorrow!**


	2. Wasn't Expecting That

**Longer then I thought it would be…and it is totally about Tattoos by the way, it just doesn't seem like it in the beginning I swear.**

 **Thanks for the positivity on Day 1! Made me happy! So here is**

 **Day 2: Tattoo**

 **This one is dedicated to:** _lonelypencilcollection_ **, cause she updated Existence yesterday and that was amazing.**

 **Warnings: no warnings for this one, but there will be for tomorrow~**

 **SET SAIL!**

Marco didn't get time off often. Mostly because he took on too many things to begin with; paperwork, organizing the family, checking stores, making sure there were enough supplies on board, basically everything a pirate crew needed to survive.

So, obviously, Marco was quite the busy first mate, especially with the incredibly attractive new addition that kept trying to take Pops' head.

Portgas D. Ace was a whole set of headaches all by himself.

Yesterday marked the first day that the little attractive ass hadn't tried to kill the old man, and in celebration of maybe getting through that thick head, Marco is taking a much needed day off.

He's still easily findable by every single one of his brothers and sisters but when he is in his "quiet room" they all respect his desire to be left alone. Something Marco loves and appreciates deeply.

His room isn't much, in fact it's a bit small, barely fits two people, but comfortably fits him. And his super collection of pillows from just about every island in the five seas.

Everyone on the ship has their own interesting quirks, Marco's just happens to be his love of soft things, or pillows. Most of the time, when one of his siblings manages to piss him off enough, they bring him a new one as a peace offering; hence the whole room being full of pillows.

All soft, all comfortable, all touching his body in some way as he just takes a deep breath and relaxes further into their gentle embrace.

Marco is pretty sure his relaxing day is almost over, despite his ignorance of passing time while engulfed in the fluffy softness. It has been way too long since someone bothered him so that should be clue enough that his time alone in comfort is almost over.

And as if hearing his thoughts, Thatch through the door to his sanctuary open, trying his hardest to make a loud sound, Marco was sure. Unfortunately for his chef brother, the pillows are everywhere, the door can barely open as is, it certainly isn't going to make the entrance his brother was hoping for.

"You know, it's annoying that I can't slam this door open. It's like the only one on the whole ship I can't make a racket with." Thatch sounded petulant and Marco chuckled into a nearby blue pillow.

"What do you want, Thatch? You know the rules about this room, yoi."

Even though Marco knew he needed to get back to real life, he'd prefer to do it on his own time, and not because someone needed something from him. That's why there was the silent "don't bother Marco in the Pillow Room" rule.

"Oh, right." Marco heard his closest brother shuffling around and he lifted his bed head to give Thatch a look that clearly said "just shut up and tell me dammit".

He sat up completely while Thatch was obviously trying to put his words together. Marco lifted his right hand and ruffled his blonde hair back to its normal style, pushing both of his arms up in a stretch while he was at it.

The room was really comfortable and that often lead to Marco being in one position for a long time which made his bones and muscles twitch uncomfortably.

"Ace hasn't eaten at all today."

Marco snapped his head up and stared at Thatch. He furrowed his brows and thought about what his brother just said.

"He doesn't eat normally?"

In fact, Marco doesn't remember ever seeing the new kid anywhere near the galley or the food stores, or off the ship, or anywhere else he could get food. Holy shit. Are they starving their newest brother?! Was he so stubborn he wouldn't even take food?

Marco was up in a second and well on his way out the door when Thatch blocked his way by positioning himself in the frame. Of course the blonde's response was to crow angrily, his phoenix already close to the surface due to being in his pillow nest for most of the day.

"Whoa, calm down, feather head." Thatch's voice was placating, but only slightly. Marco still had several thoughts of Ace starving himself while he's been on the Moby.

"How can I calm down when you basically just told me our newest brother is starving himself, yoi?!"

"What? No I didn't say that. Or maybe I did. Anyway he doesn't starve himself. He takes from the store room every now and then." The redhead spoke quickly and each word made Marco want to strangle him…damn ass got him worked up over something that wasn't an actual issue.

"So what's with the whole 'Ace hasn't eaten at all today' nonsense then?" now he was angry. Why come in and bother him in his sanctuary when it isn't life threatening or serious?!

"Just because the kid thinks he is sneaky doesn't mean I don't notice that he takes things. He hasn't taken anything today, or yesterday. He never goes two days without taking something from the stores. Hence me bursting into your nest, peacock."

Marco sighed loudly and rubbed the bridge of his nose with two fingers, asking why he was the one in charge of a crew full of children. Oh well. Time to deal with things again, it seems.

"And what would you like me to do about it, yoi?"

Thatch shuffles his feet again and starts rubbing his hands together, something he does when he's either nervous (which is rare) or uncertain how someone will react to what he is about to say (most often).

"Well you seem to have this weird ability to find him where ever he is. No one else can find him, at least not when they are looking for him, so you are the best bet to get some food to him…"

Thatch wasn't wrong. Ace smelt like fire, had the aura of fire, and reminded Marco of fire, and the phoenix is inexplicably drawn to fire, so he could find the attractive teen in seconds. Also no one else seemed to be able to find him, not even Haruta, who was the best at finding people and things.

Marco sighed again. He knew he would do this, if just to make sure the brat ate. Wouldn't due to have his newest brother die from starvation, and it would be such a waste to lose that spectacular body and ability…

Anyway.

"Yeah, ok. You got some food for him, yoi? Or are we going to the galley?"

Smiling, Thatch whipped out a bowl of dark broth, with some hearty vegetables floating around in it, like little buoys in an ocean. Another sigh. Of course Thatch would come prepared, but how the hell did he not notice the bowl in the first place? It could easily stain his pillows…

Thatch hurriedly places the bowls in one of the blonde's floating hands before smiling widely.

"Thanks, Marco! Make sure he eats it all, yeah?!" the chef yells while he runs towards the galley kitchens, not a surprising destination considering it's probably close to dinner time.

Without another sound Marco ruffles his hair with his free hand and wanders off, towards the feeling of fire that's steadily pulsing at him. He didn't exactly understand how or why he could feel Ace and his flames, but he can and it is useful so he doesn't think about it too much.

The obvious place to look would be the old storage closet the teen had taken to hiding in when not attacking Pops. But that would have been the first place Thatch would've looked so Marco doesn't bother with that; besides the pull of fire is taking him to the deck.

Marco would kill Thatch if he lied about not finding Ace just to get the blonde out of his safe room. And if there was a prank waiting for him topside, he'd make sure that Thatch got all the shitty duties for the next year.

But lo and behold, no one was on the main deck save the curled up figure of Ace. He was off to the side, sitting next to the railings as the boisterous family partied away in the galley. Who knew what they were partying about this time, but Marco could care less. He was focusing on getting the food to Ace.

He's not sure if his steps are loud or not, or if the teen could hear anything over the lapping of the waves, but Marco approached rather incautiously anyway. Ace couldn't hope to beat him in his state, he was all bruised and bloody, and Marco would never admit it out loud but it hurt a little to see the normally loud youth so quiet.

Lightly Marco placed the soup down to Ace's side and stayed crouched a little bit away, watching as the teen seemed to have a crisis of some sort. Wouldn't be the first time one of those happened on the ship…not even close.

The phoenix was going to respect the teen's obvious desire to be alone but his cracked husky voice stopped him from standing and making his way to dinner.

"Why do all of you call him your 'old man' anyway…?"

Well that was good news. Looks like all the words from the rest of the crew were really getting to the hot head. Hopefully he'd get over the idiotic idea of taking Pops' head and just become the man's son already.

But then, maybe he needs a little push to take that next step.

"Because he…"Marco hesitated a bit as Ace shifted before continuing his thought. "Calls us his sons. The world hates us for what we are, you know…"

He pauses again, this time to make sure he wasn't hearing things and that the teen in front of him was crying. Well can't go back now. Hopefully Ace would still be here tomorrow and won't run away because of what Marco was about to stay.

"It makes us happy, even if it's just a word, yoi."

Marco smiled widely, cause he wasn't lying. Have a pops, having Pops, was one of the greatest things to have ever happened to him. And he'll always be happy to hear the old man call him 'son'.

Anyway, he had to make sure that Ace really understood the decision that was laying before him now. So he stood and made to walk away before he spoke again.

"I hope you don't plan on keeping this nonsense up forever. It's time you made a decision, yoi."

"…." The kid didn't respond, but then again, Marco really didn't expect him to. It was a lot for someone to take in.

"You can't take our old man's head as you are now, yoi. So either you leave this ship for the moment altogether…."

A single breath before Marco spoke his parting words.

"…or you stay, and bear Whitebeard's mark!"

He walked away at that point, not waiting to see, or hear, if Ace ate the soup or not. Marco didn't even stick around to know what reaction his words might have prompted.

Sure he wanted Ace to stay, hell there wasn't anything at the moment that he wanted more, but it was his choice. And if he chose to leave, then that would be his choice, despite how stupid Marco thought it would be.

' _Oh well. He'll be here tomorrow. Hell he'll probably already have his mark the next time I see him.'_

Marco started to whistle as he took the creaky steps down to the noisy galley. He hadn't eaten all day and damn was he feeling it now.

"Did ya feed our wayward pet, Marco!"

"Yeah! You owe me one, Thatch! It better be a pillow, yoi."

 **-this is a line…and a time skip to the following morning-**

Marco was moodily eating his breakfast, half stabbing it and half actually eating it.

He went by Ace's little hidey hole and expected to see the kid there, still sleeping, with Pops' mark, or at the very least, planning to get Pops' mark. But no. No Ace in sight.

It was then that he realized he couldn't feel the black haired teen's fire at all. It wasn't on the ship and it wasn't anywhere nearby.

They had reached an island late last night so it was fairly obvious that the youth had taken the opportunity to bolt. Dammit.

This was all Marco's fault too. He pushed too hard at the kid yesterday, gave him an ultimatum when he obviously wasn't ready to make the right decision. Shit.

Marco felt like absolute shit. He was so looking forward to having a brother that could control fire, who could become fire. It was like a wish he never knew he had till it was sitting on him. Now he'd never get that. And that made him angry, cause it was all his fault.

"Yo! Marco! Where's the little hothead today?"

And of course Thatch decides to ruin his brooding. Stupid cheerful cook. He was a great brother, but he was shit at leaving Marco to his moods.

Just as the phoenix was about to open his mouth to tell the idiot chef that the damned brat had left because Marco pressed too hard, the door to the galley was slammed open. And with his angry mood he jumped to a standing position and prepared to ream the hell out of whichever asshole decided to make such a loud noise when his words just died in his throat.

Standing in the doorway was Ace. Completely shirtless Ace…wearing only his boots and shorts…and Marco is pretty sure he was drooling or something similar because damn. The kid had the body of an Adonis.

Marco continued standing there, frozen, as Thatch and Izou and several other crew members walked up to Ace and congratulated him and welcomed him to the family. Some of them even laughed with the ebony head, about what he didn't know, but slowly the sound was working up into his head and he was just about done with everything when he clearly heard Izou's voice over everyone else's.

"Well go on, give us a turn."

And just like that Ace turned. And Marco felt his anger hit the top of its gauge.

There on Ace's back, covering a good portion of it, was the Whitebeard Jolly Roger, a clear sign of Ace becoming one of Pops' sons.

"Ah yeah. I wanted it to be a surprise so I went off the ship to get it, convinced the guy at the closest tattoo shop that it would be in his best interest to do what I wanted."

Marco isn't sure what happened right after that. All he knows for sure is that he had crossed the room and had kicked Ace in the face, with a talon, his wings spread around him. He is pretty sure he was too pissed to notice the simple things from A to B but he didn't care too much…

" _What are you thinking about, babe?" a deep voice tickled his ear and Marco smiled as he turned from the railing of the deck, wrapping his arms around Ace's waist and pulling him into a kiss._

 _When they separated he smiled widely at the half dazed expression on the younger's face._

" _Oh you know, you accepting your place as Pops' son." Ace smiled in response and stretched a little closer to get another kiss, but Marco had other plans._

" _And how you found out that I ate the Mythical Zoan Fruit: Phoenix."_

 _Ace flushed and smacked Marco on his bare chest. It was an equally fond and embarrassing moment for the fire man. And because of that the blonde brought it up as often as he could._

" _Shut up!" Ace yelled as the other chuckled. "You got a nice pillow out of it!"_

 _Marco smirked and tightened his hold on the smaller man._

" _Oh I think I got something a little better than a pillow out of it." Before he took Ace's mouth again and decided that today was a good day. And he owed Ace another tattoo._

 **OMAKE**

"What did I do?!" Ace yelled, holding his left cheek as he watched Marco stomp away angrily. He looked to Izou for advice, who just shook his head and chuckled.

"Something apparently, probably whatever he was brooding about, maybe he thought you ran away?"

"What?! No! Marco was the reason why I finally joined!" Ace yelled frustrated as he tried to see where Marco disappeared to.

"Not in his mind. He'll probably be angry for a while." Izou sighed before sitting down at his original table, smiling a bit to himself as Ace sat next to him.

"How do I make him not angry?" the teen's voice was so serious that the okama had to laugh, and so did Thatch, and everyone else present.

"What?"

"Oh Ace. That's the easiest thing in the world. Just get him a pillow. Preferably a feather down one that is really soft."

Ace looked at Izou curiously before he shrugged his shoulders and stood. Walking out of the galley, off the ship, and into the market to find Marco the perfect pillow.

"You know, one day the two of them will be the perfect couple." Thatch said quietly. Izou just smiled and turned back to his food.

"Yes, I know."

 **FIN**

 **How did you like it? More fluff that no one expected? XDDD yeah not tomorrow~**

 **Oh and the whole fic is kind of a flashback~ and the italicized part is the present day~**

 **Do me a solid! GO VOTE IN MY POLL!**

 **See y'all tomorrow!**


	3. Fire Lilies

**Well this is a little late…sorry…Hope y'all enjoy it anyway? It's been in my head since last week but man did I have some issues just writing it all out (kept getting distracted by Stony XD )**

 **Day 3: Flowers**

 **This one is dedicated to** _InspiringLight_ _ **,**_ **cause this is right up her alley and I've been a horrible pen pal lately.**

 **Warnings: This does not have a happy ending. Do NOT read it if you aren't in the frame of mind for some serious angst. This is my only warning.**

 **SET SAIL!**

Ace was one of the best things to happen to the Whitebeard Family.

It was something every member will agree on, no matter their status. Ever since the Underboss, Marco, and some of his capo friends rescued the kid from an unfortunate street fight Ace has basically been a part of the Family, despite never being formally inducted. And the Family members treated him as such.

Hating Ace was incredibly difficult; especially when he started bringing his younger brothers with him to hang out around their Main House. Sabo and Luffy were just adorable, and so was Ace when he was around them.

Of course hanging around a known crime syndicate brought some unnecessary trouble to the trios door, but they never talked. Even the one time they were picked up by the FBI, they kept their silence and the family's secrets, and that earned them so much when it came to the family.

Especially when it came to Marco.

The underboss was enamored with Ace. Everyone could see it, and his siblings, the capos of the family, brought it up every time Marco got distracted by the teen.

Whitebeard approved of his Underboss's inclinations, and even told the blonde to get over silly things like age and just ask the kid out.

Which, of course, Marco did.

Though if he was being honest he only did so because he thought it would be easier to get the rejection out of the way early on. He never expected for Ace to say yes; and certainly not with a wide smile and flushed cheeks.

Another unexpected action was having both Luffy and Sabo corner him in a hallway off the main room of the house to ask about his intentions with their older brother. It was both cute and a little annoying that they did that, but Marco appreciated the protection the two provided for Ace.

One date led to another, and another, to Marco teaching Ace to fight, and the teen showing off his pyrotechnic talents. Soon it was no longer just the Underboss, Marco. Now it included his boyfriend, Ace.

The teen asked to not be a full part of the family, but he gladly supplied them with bombs and other such incendiary devices that they required, that was as far as he would go.

Marco and Ace settled into a life together pretty easily, and they enjoyed Luffy's conversations with Whitebeard about starting his own Family, and were exasperated by Sabo wanting to join the social rebellion currently happening. But it was family, and it made them happy.

That happiness only lasted two years.

A month after Ace's twentieth birthday, Marco was planning a way to propose when everything went to hell in a hand basket.

It was Thatch that found him, brooding in his and Ace's shared room trying to figure out the perfect way to propose. Marco thought it was about the Family, thought something went wrong with the raid that was planned to happen that day.

The blonde felt horrible for wishing that it was something to do with the Family.

Marco's happy world crashed around him at that moment, with Thatch still speaking and everything narrowing into a fine point with what the capo just imparted.

"Ace was taken to the hospital. He's really sick..."

 **REMINDER TO SELF INSERT LINE HERE!**

Marco was quiet as he walked down the white white halls of the only hospital in the city that fell under Family rule. It was something he did often enough now. Nurses would greet him, doctors would shake their heads sadly, and long-term patients would complement his choice.

Fire Lilies were today's. They were beautiful lilies, some of the prettiest he had ever seen, despite his love for Oriental ones. Ace showed him a stunning field of them for their third date. His mother was buried nearby and the two of them always were fond of them.

He had a full bouquet of them because Ace loved them so much. He figured it was because it was fire and he'd always loved anything to do with fire, but then he looked up the meaning online one day.

Ace loved Fire Lilies because of their color, but he loved lilies in general because of what they meant.

Motherhood.

There was a Greek myth surrounding the creation of lilies but Marco hardly remembered it anymore, but he did recall that they were a symbol of motherhood.

They were Ace's favorite because they reminded him of the mother he never truly got to know. And if he teared up a little at that when the younger had told him, Ace had never held it against him.

Normally Marco didn't visit every day, but lately the doctors have been telling him that the love of his life might be waking up soon. So of course the blonde had taken to being there as often as possible, and every day he brought with him a new bouquet. Most commonly a type of lily but there were some sunflowers, orchids, hydrangeas, and the odd bunch of various colors of carnations.

A sigh escaped his throat as he stopped walking and just stared at the door to room 314. Something he'd seen far too much of in his opinion.

Marco opened the door quietly and felt the strings in his heart tug a little at the sight that greeted him beyond the entry.

Ace's once tanned skin was pale and sickly, nowhere near the sun kissed beauty it used to be. His arms were bony and there seemed to be little, if any, muscle mass left on his once toned frame. What used to be fluffy and silky ebony locks were now stringy and flat as they splayed around his clammy face, freckles sticking out in the worst of ways. The rest of his body was covered by the stark white hospital sheet but Marco knew from previous experience that it's just as gaunt as his arms and face.

That was the most painful part really. A once vibrant and loud and joyous youth crippled to such a state because-because of a disease he didn't even know he had.

Marco sighed heavily as he placed the fresh bouquet in the only empty vase in the room, which was filled to the brim with flowers, vases and potted alike. Ace said flowers were the one thing he loved to indulge in, loved to be around them, loved to see them, loved to grow them. The whole family knew that, which was why his hospital room was like a mini flower store.

A chair was waiting on the side of Ace's bed, like always, and Marco wasted no time in sitting down in it, like he did every visit.

Lightly he lifted the bony hand lying outside of the covers and held it. It was a constant reminder, in addition to the beep beep beeps, that he was still alive. That Ace was still breathing and hadn't left.

He let out another sigh before he smiled half-heartedly, letting his voice out of his strangely constricted throat.

"You missed so much since the last time I was here, yoi. Even though it's only been about sixteen hours since the staff kicked me out yesterday. You know how your brothers are, yoi. Can't keep them still."

Marco felt his lip tremble and took a deep breath to settle his nerves and anxiety. For some reason today just felt like a horrible day to be at the hospital.

"Luffy found another family member. Skinny guy, yoi. Really obsessed with panties but plays the violin like you wouldn't believe. He always said he'd get a musician didn't he, yoi? He barely thought over joining the mafia and just said yes. What kind of guy disregards the fact that everything we do is illegal and joins a fledgling family just like that?"

A slow blink as he tossed through the happenings of last night before he started speaking again, listening to the various machines in the room continue to beep.

"Sabo is doing well, yoi. We got a letter from him yesterday while I was here. Apparently he was listening to all those lectures you gave him on the proper way to dismantle a bomb.

Someone planted one at the place he was protesting at and if he didn't stop it then it would have hurt a lot of people, yoi. Seemed to do more for his cause than anything else, people listen more to heroes for some reason. The family won't stop calling him the 'Savior of the Masses'. You woulda loved it, yoi."

He mentioned he might be able to come visit you soon. And three soldiers have come to me in panic attacks about their changing sexuality. He still makes everyone reconsider their stance on attraction, yoi."

Marco took a deep breath and stroked the bony hand lightly, caressing it like he used to do when Ace woke from a nightmare. He hoped it helped with whatever was keeping him asleep.

"Thatch is doing a lot better now. Although he curses Teach's name every time his leg starts acting up or he trips over his own cane. The doctors doubt he'll ever be able to walk without one so he is trying to make light of the situation, yoi. But he and Izou did finally get together. I remember you used to rant at anyone you could about their undying love for each other. Thatch even said it was probably because of you that he stopped stalling."

Tears start to gather in his blue eyes and he's not sure he can do anything about them. If he wipes them away, they'll just come back and then he'll have released Ace's hand for no good reason. So he let them slide down his cheeks and continued talking.

"Pops is doing well enough. He's having a few problems with his liver now, but the nurses have him on an all water diet that should fix it right up. The only thing he needs now is his last son home and healthy. Everything would be perfect then, yoi."

Marco folded over. His elbows resting on his knees, Ace's hand still clasped between his larger ones, and he rested his head against the smooth slim appendage. Taking a shaky breath he lost the logical part of his mind and just spoke.

"This isn't fair, Ace. We were supposed to have forever. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with you and only you, yoi. Everyone would have been there, we would have been happy. We would have adopted a kid, cause I know how badly you want to be a parent even though you kept saying it was a bad idea. We would have gotten a dog cause you're stubborn and the kid would get that from you, even though birds would be a better choice, yoi.

But you're stubborn, Ace. You can't let this beat you. We didn't even know you had it, even though we were so careful the Family makes me get tested every week, just in case. But that's not your fault, we didn't know ,yoi. And you have so much more living to do, babe. You just have to open your eyes and be here, and live. We can do this, you know we can. And I-I don't want to do this without you, yoi. I don't know if I can anymore.

And I still have so much more to do with you. So many promises I haven't fulfilled, so many that I swore to you I'd do with you, yoi. Sky diving, you wanted me to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. And a safari in Africa, that you've wanted to do since we watched that one documentary on leopard cubs. And I promised snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, yoi. And-and Disney World. Even though you were half joking I know you want to go and I promised to myself that I'd take you. And I can't take you if you don't get better, yoi."

The tears slip out faster now but he doesn't really care. Marco had been holding this all in since the day the doctors told him that Ace wasn't allowed to leave the hospital. That it was too dangerous for his system to be anywhere that wasn't completely sterilized.

Slowly the tears slow and Marco resigns himself to another day without seeing Ace's lovely dark eyes when the hand in his grip tugs a little.

His head snapped up faster than he honestly thought it could and he starts crying all over again as those dark dark pools look into his own from under half lidded eyes.

"Ace…"

Said younger man smiles weakly, before he moves his hand from Marco's grip to his cheek, cupping in softly. The bony arms are shaking from exertion but the blonde can't find it in him to do anything but just stare at the eyes he hasn't seen in well over a week.

"I love you, Marco. I love Pops. I love Luffy and Sabo. And I love our family." Ace speaks softly and Marco has to choke back a sob at his words. This first words he's uttered in so long, and it didn't even sound like Ace any more. Just a defeated version of what he once was, and it sounds too much like good bye for the blonde to think anything else.

Ace puts more effort into his smile and suddenly it isn't a weak pathetic shadow of what once was. It was the smile that made him fall in love, and things felt right and it felt like before. Before Ace got sick, and sicker, and never got better. It recalled happy times to his mind and he knew what that meant and he just didn't want to believe it.

"No, Ace. Nonononono. You can't. You can't, yoi! It was supposed to be forever!" Marco hadn't yelled in months, hadn't had the energy. And his voice cracked from misuse now that he had.

"I'm sorry…"

The words were punctuated with a steady long beep instead of the continuous flow of them.

Doctors rush in, and so do the nurses, and there is a crash cart and yelling and screaming and pushing him out of the way. And sounds that sort of make up a sentence of "his heart finally gave out", when it fully hits Marco.

Ace was gone. He wasn't coming back. They weren't going to get their future, the one Marco had been dreaming about since their first date. They didn't even have a chance to get married, the blonde never even got to propose.

Just as suddenly as Ace passed Marco was on the floor. Screaming his pain into the tiles, pounding them with his fists until they were bloody and it wasn't fair. It shouldn't have been Ace. Anyone but Ace. The black haired man didn't deserve this, he didn't deserve to die like this!

"Damn you Roger! HOW COULD YOU?! YOU KNEW! YOU KNEW, YOI!"

There were people grasping at him and trying to move him, but Marco wasn't having any of it. He kicked them away, punched when they restrained his legs, tried to bite when they got his arms. He kept yelling though.

"YOU KNEW YOU HAD AIDS, ROGER! HOW COULD YOU LET ROUGE DO THIS?! HOW COULD YOU HAVE THIS SON, THAT I LOVE AND DESERVES SO MUCH MORE, WHEN YOU KNEW HE WOULDN'T LIVE LONG ENOUGH! HOW DARE YOU!"

They had him strapped to a gurney when his voice gave out completely. He tried to continue screaming but nothing came out. And without a way to release his anger it all turned into sadness and then he was sobbing as they wheeled him out of the room.

Marco's very last glance at the only man he would ever love was of one of the doctors covering his face with a sheet. But not before Marco saw the smile on his face and a hibiscus by his ear.

 **FIN**

 **Well? Hate me yet? This was totally and shamelessly inspired by RENT the movie/musical~ something that lead me to writing in the first place I swear~ (watch it if you haven't it is the greatest thing ever)**

 **Go vote in MY POLL PLEASE!**

 **See y'all hopefully on time tomorrow~**


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